Italian design is world-renowned for both its flair and precision, combining a passion for tradition and innovation with meticulous craftsmanship. Such dedication to craft is at the heart of interiors studio Minotti, with an approach to furniture design that reflects the essence of ‘Made in Italy’.

Established by Alberto Minotti in 1948, the Italian studio started out as a small-scale artisan workshop, growing steadily throughout the 1960s before gaining international acclaim for championing classic-modern design in the residential and hospitality sector. It now has a presence in 63 countries, with 34 flagship stores and more than 300 dealers worldwide.

Now run by Alberto’s sons Renato and Roberto, the company has, since 1998, shared its creative vision and key aesthetic principles with the architect Rodolfo Dordoni, who coordinates all of Minotti’s collections.

For its 2019 collection, the studio has conceived a new stylistic code with an aim to surprise customers in a practical and dynamic way while retaining a character deeply linked to the principles of aesthetic understatement, timeless elegance, continuity, artisan savoir-faire and great attention to sartorial details. Its latest furniture line enhances the compact design codes originally championed by Danish design studio GamFratesi by mixing unexpected combinations of textures and materials that are unique yet homely.

The Shelley armchair – a stand out piece in the new collection – is a testament to this, with its wing-like saddle hide exterior or ‘bustier’, which embraces the back and sides of the chair, sustaining the frame and cocooning the softness of the upholstered seat and backrest inside. While the Shelley design may look simple, advanced technology has been used to make both the outer leather saddle hide bustier, and the internal padding, which is formed from different textures of foam using two different moulds to follow the curved line of the chair perfectly. The backrest, seat and armrest cushions are filled with certified Assopiuma Gold Label goose down for maximum comfort.

The chair’s elegant Cubist shape plays on the harmonious contrast between a structured external shell and a soft, inviting interior. Sartorial tailoring-inspired elements such as neat piping define the edges of the cushions to ensure every detail has been carefully considered, while black nickel legs add to the modern look of the chair.

Available in new shades – bordeaux, ash, dove grey and sage, as well as current core colour options mud, moka and black – the colour palette is ideal for matching with other materials in the new Minotti collection, including a Minotti jaquard fabric. The Shelley, which is available in two versions, one with classic dimensions, and the other a more relaxed lounge version, can be used individually or paired together to maintain continuity within the room. The chair also complements the rest of the range, which includes an elegant dining chair.

Celebrating its Italian heritage, with a forward-thinking international outlook, Minotti’s vision is to provide “food for thought” for its customers by surprising them and making them think differently about design, and the Shelley chair succeeds in expressing this refreshing approach to compact design.

minottilondon.com